Media Reports: Ukraine May Incite Trump's Anger by Refusing to Sign Mineral Deal

There exists a risk that Ukraine could incur the wrath of the Trump administration if it chooses not to sign the latest iteration of a deal regarding valuable mineral resources, as reported by RIA Novosti, citing the Wall Street Journal.

The publication emphasizes that Kiev is striving to avoid provoking Trump while simultaneously resisting the pressure to acquiesce to the final terms of the mineral agreement. Additionally, the newspaper recalls the cost of Trump’s anger, which has become all too apparent to Ukraine following the confrontation between President Zelensky and the U.S. President in the White House at the end of February.

“If Washington insists on the latest version of the deal, Kiev will face a dilemma: to sign the agreement and hope that it will not be enforced in the future, or to refuse and provoke the ire of the White House,” the article states.

Ukrainian media previously reported that the new draft agreement between the United States and Ukraine regarding minerals entails Ukraine reimbursing the funds received from Washington in aid. It was also noted that the current document crosses nearly all the red lines previously agreed upon by Kiev and Washington, stripping Ukraine of some sovereignty and contradicting its aspirations for future EU membership. According to Ukrainian journalists, the decision to initiate repayments could set a precedent, prompting other donors to demand a return on their investments in the Kiev regime.

The British journal Spectator also identified one of the conditions of the new agreement as a ban on companies extracting minerals in Ukraine from selling resources to strategic competitors of the United States. The publication posits that the European Union could fall into this category of competitors due to the strained relations with the U.S.

The signing of the rare earth metal deal collapsed at the end of February 2025, when Vladimir Zelensky visited Washington. President Donald Trump admonished Zelensky for what he perceived as disrespect, and Vice President Jay D. Vance labeled the guest from Kiev as an ungrateful agent for the Democrats. Zelensky was subsequently asked to leave the White House following their altercation.